Dangerous Playground: Addressing the issue on Child Soldiers

We had the third and last forum entitled “Dangerous Playground: Addressing the issue on Child Soldiers” in the Auditorium. I wasn’t able to attend the morning session although I was there early in the afternoon. First, I would like to give a brief explanation about our forum.

The Child Soldiers are the use of young children which takes three distinct forms: they could take part in hostilities, or they can be used in roles such as porters, spies, look outs or even sex slaves for both genders. The most disappointing part is that they could also be used for political advantage such as human shields or in propaganda.

We had 2 speakers which are Colonel Dickson Hermoso and Kervin Ras. Kervin was the first speaker, who happens to be my block mate in National Development. The first time I saw him I wasn’t surprised that he’d be a Soldier because he used to wear shirts that represents the army. He shared his experiences in Iraq and told us that it was really nerve-wracking to see a child dying because of the bombings. The second speaker is currently the Chief of Public Affairs Division and he told us that Child soldiering is rampant in the areas of the Southern Philippines. They are also deprived of food, shelter and most importantly, education. I really feel bad with the things that are happening not only in our country but in others as well. I really hope that there would come a time that all of these problems will be solved.

The Public Diplomacy Forum

Our second forum concentrated on Public Diplomacy and this is not new to us. As a CDA student, we’ve been exposed to this topic and I shall first give a description of Public Diplomacy.

According to the Planning Group for Integration of USIA into the Dept. of State:

"Public Diplomacy seeks to promote the national interest of the country through understanding, informing and influencing foreign audiences. It also describes the conduct of foreign policy by engagement with foreign publics.”

During the forum, they invited 3 speakers but unfortunately due to some reasons, only one speaker came. He is a representative from the Department of Tourism. He first talked about the recent Hostage Taking Fiasco that occurred and how this unexpected event affected our Tourism. He said that we should support our country and have a positive approach about it because it is the only way we could gain the trust of the foreigners. It could also attract many investors in our country. In order for our tourism to boom, they promote our country using the internet. It is the easiest way to attract foreigners so that they would know how beautiful our country is. We also had an open forum and there were some who expressed their sentiments and even questioned how did the Department of Tourism deal with the Hostage Taking. Although he said aggression doesn’t really help yet we could still do things that could have our Tourism improve again.

FORUM: Youth Development Programs

Last Saturday (August 14 2010), we attended a forum which was arranged by the SEM-CDA students that mainly talks about the Youth Development Programs which includes the World Vision, Child Hope Asia and Department of Education in MIMAROPA. The forum speaks about how child labour is one of the many concerns in the Philippines and, most disturbingly, one of the most rampant problems we face. We should help them in every way that we can because every child has the right to the most basic of necessities in life like a healthy environment, formal education, and most importantly, a loving family to come home to. One way to stop child labour is by giving them hope such as assistance in terms of financial needs and proper education.

Children living in the poorest family and in rural areas are most likely to be engaged in child labour. In our country, Child Labour is one of the social problems that still exist today. Based on the article that I’ve read from a study of Child Labour in the Philippines, International Labour Organization estimates that the government place the number of child labourers in the country at eight hundred thousand (800,000), but actual figures may be as high as five million (5,000,000). We really cannot deny the truth that every year, the number of child labourers rises.

In order for this to stop, we should ensure that each child in the country would be given a chance to go to school and that their education is of good quality which is the key to prevent child labour.

Foreign Policy Process

Last meeting, we talked about how to draft a policy paper. First the definition of a Foreign Policy which is also called the international relations policy that consists of strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals in international relations. The first step is Decision Making. It is where we could set the goals and meetings and consultations with different institutions. Under this is the announcement of policy, identifying the national interest, collection of data and planning. Second step is the implementation of the policy so that it could be accomplished and executed already. Third step is the result and consequences, this would be hard because you’d get a lot of comments, whether violent or not. Last step is the Evaluation. In this process, revisions and adjustments are present. After this, we were told to draft a policy regarding the lecture that was discussed earlier.

PNOY: State of the Nation Address

Our newly elected President, His Excellency Benigno C. Aquino III has just delivered his first state of the nation address or SONA at Batasan Pambansa today and we were expecting his proposed plan of action. I was totally surprised with his speech. His speech talked about the fiscal crisis and corruption of the former Arroyo administration. Our President pointed out the budget deficit of the Republic of the Philippines, which is now at 196.7 Billion pesos which the former Administration overused and it was so disappointing because we didn’t even feel the funds that we were supposed to have. That’s why the result was our government are now in debt and inadequate incentives to use. Our President also emphasized the countless allegations such as Napocor's selling of losing value of electricity in 2004, Excessive importation of rice which only results rotten in the storage and the MRT's operation in the cheapest toll. Other problems are the results to bankruptcy forces the Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines to purchase the said assets, Improper use of calamity funds in pampanga worth of 108 million. Also, the funds for the people affected by Typhoon Ondoy and Peping. He would like to pursue the Fiscal Responsibility Bill, Whistle Blower’s Bill and to amend the law. It was good that he thought of filing a case against those tax evaders and extra judicial killings. The proposal that could help the state is the ff: Build operate and transfer project, public- private partnership, settle the problem in Mindanao and CPP-NPA and widespread ceasefire. I hope our newly elected President would make these things possible God Bless Him!

Moro Islamic Liberation Front

As far as I could remember, this was a free day for us. However, Miss taught us first how to make a decent and proper paper and she used the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as an example. We also discussed how Malaysia is relevant to the MILF and so as the Organization of Islamic Conference. It is the OIC which has helped solve the problems with the MNLF and in the year 2001, during President Arroyo’s Administration, Malaysia has become the Third-Party negotiator during her years of presidency. Although Malaysia is a multi-racial state, the biggest percentage of these is Islam. We just thought that the task of Malaysia should just be given to Indonesia.

P-Noy's SPEECH at the 43rd ASEAN Foundation Day

Last August 9, 2010, President Aquino led the celebration of the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foundation Day, vowing that the Philippines will fulfill its international commitments without undermining and forsaking its national interests. As I read the whole speech, I was really amazed because he said that the Philippines will be “a good neighbor, a productive partner, and a consensus-builder” to neighbors in Southeast Asia which shows a very positive approach to the country. He also said that the Philippines, under his administration, will fulfill its international commitments without undermining and forsaking its national interests. A Philippines that is an exemplar, as well as exponent, of the rule of law including international law is a country attractive to investments which is totally correct. Also, he added that the Philippines that harmonizes its national interest with its international responsibilities, is a nation that can earn, and maintain its dignity and self-respect whether on a bilateral or multilateral level. We could achieve this by making our country open for investments. Furthermore, I would also like to commend P-Noy for using culture and the arts in order to promote peace and understanding within other nations. It would strengthen cooperation on several fronts: political, economic and social. I really hope that P-Noy would really put this into action, not just only in words.

Visiting Forces Agreement

In this session, Miss Tin gave us a 4-paged paper pertaining to the Visiting Forces Agreement, is a bilateral agreement between the Philippines and the United States consisting of two separate agreement documents. As we read the whole article, she divided the class into 2. One is the positive side and the other is the negative side. I need to practice my reading skills because she only gave us 10-15 minutes to understand the whole article. It was totally challenging. After analyzing the article, we gave our thoughts towards it. To defend the negative side, I believe that the United States of America takes advantage of us so that they could establish ports, training facilities and logistical bases for their continuing participation, occupation of and war activities on different parts of the world, especially those in the Middle East wherein we would always be affected whenever there is war. Furthermore, it is also unclear as to what “temporary” stay or visit to the country means. It takes them a week, a month or worst, years. The Subic Rape Case Victim Nicole said a permanent American Camp is now even built inside the south camp in the city of Zamboanga. The soldiers are also here for them to do their job, but not to take advantage the women in our country especially in the area near Clark Base. Yes, I know that the Americans helped us and we owe them a lot but sometimes we also have a limit. I read and agree that the Americans have no respect or regard for our laws and regulations. It is they who are the visitors, yet they want them to reign and set laws and regulations for themselves in our own homeland and territory. Second, in Article V of the VFA, “official acts” needing “official duty certificate” do not include the heinous crimes of the American soldiers in the Philippines, who may even avoid the jurisdiction of Philippine laws and court that will try their cases. However, at the end of our discussion, I realized that we shouldn’t generalize them because not all of them act that way.

History: Republic of the Philippines

During our discussion, I know for myself that I have knowledge about the history of our country. It’s because I’ve been reading the encyclopedia since I was a kid. It was during the year 1521 when one of the most famous explorers reached the shores of the Philippines. He was Ferdinand Magellan and he claimed the entire islands for Spain. The conquest of the Filipinos by Spain did not begin in earnest until 1564, when another expedition from New Spain, commanded by Miguel López de Legaspi, arrived. Spanish leadership was soon established over many small independent communities that previously had known no central rule. By 1571, when López de Legaspi established the Spanish city of Manila on the site of a Moro town he had conquered the year before, the Spanish foothold in the Philippines was secure, despite the opposition of the Portuguese, who were eager to maintain their monopoly on the trade of East Asia. We talked about the first phase of revolution which was the entry of the USA in the Philippines which includes the American economic presence and the Spanish-American War, the faces of American Imperialism, battle of Manila bay, declaration of Independence and the Malolos institution. The second phase is the American occupation, the Commonwealth, the Road to Independence, the Japanese occupation, the result of the war, the Marcos period and the Martial law. I learned that the United States and the Philippines also has a “special relationship” because they show love and hate with each other. The Philippines and the United States government leaders faced substantial differences on economic and military issues.

MIDTERM PAPER

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ASEAN MEMBERSHIP
ASEAN, the Association of South East Asian Nations, this regional group started and began with the dissolution of the SEATO, the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. The South East Asia Treaty Organization was aimed to be a sister treaty of the NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the member states of the South East Asia Treaty Organization were: Australia, France, New Zealand, Thailand, Pakistan including Bangladesh at that time, Philippines, Taiwan or better known as the Republic of China, United Kingdom and the United States of America. Military forces of each member state would be coordinated just as patterned to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an attack to one state is an attack to all members. Pakistan was included not only because East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) was geographically close to Southeast Asia, but possibly because Pakistan was a member of the pro-Western Central Treaty Organization (CENTO) alliance. Thus the pro-Western, anti-communist military alliances of the Mid-east and Southeast Asia were linked by the membership of Pakistan in both. Despite being intended to provide a collective, anti-communist shield to Southeast Asia, SEATO was unable to intervene in the conflicts in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam because an intervention required a decision of unanimity, which was never reached; France and the Philippines objected. Intervention in the Vietnam conflict was sought again later, but France and Pakistan withheld support. The South East Asian Treaty Organization was made similar to the Truman Doctrine which was very much anti-communist and quite a collective treaty made for an Alliance against a South East Asian communist attack. With the declining interest of two member states in the area particularly the French Republic and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in South East Asia, France formally withdrew on June thirtieth of the year 1974 and the South East Asia Treaty Organization formally dissolved and ended in 1977.

The Association of South East Asian Nations is an economic and geo-political organization in South East Asia with currently having ten member states, the organization was formed by three states at first namely the Philippines, Indonesia, the Federal Republic of Malaysia, the Republic of Singapore and the Kingdom of Thailand on August 1967. Membership has increased as the organization progressed with the inclusion of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the People’s Democratic Republic of Lao, the Sultanate of Brunei, the People’s Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and Myanmar formerly known as Burma at that time. The aim of this regional organization is economic growth, social progress, peace and stability in the region, cultural development, and for members to discuss issues peacefully. The association of south east Asian nation always holds a summit with rotating members hosting it, in these summits policies and economic trade are being discussed as well as security concerns over the region and the world in which the organization can help. The organization has a free trade agreement with all its members, it was signed in 1982 at the Republic of Singapore, when it was signed it only had six members at that time, namely the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, Republic of Indonesia, the Federal Republic of Malaysia, the Sultanate of Brunei and the Kingdom of Thailand.

Making of Asean
Even as the former protagonists sought to restore friendly ties after five acrimonious years, it was clear that a permanent and lasting solution was imperative to avert a repetition of the disruptive experiences and more pointedly, hostility between the main regional players. In short, a regional framework for co-operative action and assistance was required.

There had been three previous attempts, none of which proved effective. The first was the formation of the Association of Southeast Asia (ASA), in July 1961, and largely inspired by the results of the historic Bandung Conference of Afro-Asian countries in 1955. ASA covered Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. Its limited membership, and accusations that it was pro-West doomed ASA from the outset. It was effectively an extension of the earlier Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO), a Western-orientated social-cummilitary umbrella.

In 1963, with Indonesia and the Philippines at odds with Malaysia, sukarno’s trusted foreign minister, Dr Subandrio, supported a Filipino initiative for the formation of a Greater Malay Confederation to embrace Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, and by implication exclude Thailand. (Singapore was then part of Malaysia.) The Maphilindo concept was virtually stillborn as its appeal was very narrow and threatened the alienation of non-Muslim nationals in those and neighbouring countries. The very fact that a predominantly Catholic Philippines proposed the union also caused some consternation. That tireless worker for peace, Thanat Khoman, was the prime mover to a larger than ASA grouping, and the timing of his suggestion in 1966 gave it added appeal. He sounded out Adam Malik, and then took the proposal to Tunku Abdul Rahman. It later ensued that the proposal envisaged including India, Burma and Cambodia, and that Adam Malik favoured the larger grouping. In their deliberations, the governments of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines sensed that a far-reaching historical initiative was at hand. The price to be paid, however, was acceptance of Indonesia’s unique role as a first among equals. It was in dire need of economic reconstruction, but to attract aid from the West it desperately needed international respectability. Thus the unique opportunity of assisting Indonesia lay in the hands of its neighbors. The Filipinos noted that the name SEEARC sounded too much like a shark and “Asean” was thus agreed upon instead. This new organization showed even greater promise for peace, stability and co-operation in our region in of the world, and for progress in economic, social and cultural developments in the fields of technology and research.

Asean was born at a time when the Communist Chinese called for a People’s War, and the United States’ involvement in Vietnam was escalating. For the founding fathers of Asean, the timing would prove providential; Asean nevertheless had to contend with its share of teething problems.

Asean almost faded into oblivion a little over a year after it was formed. This caused a temporary suspension of the group’s activities, hampered co-operative efforts, and strained relations between some of the mebers for several years thereafter. The “CorregidorAffair” revived the Philippine claim over Sabah, yet again testing relations between Kuala Lumpur and Manila. The incident stemmed from the discovery of a special military force comprising Muslim recruits. They were reportedly trained on the island of Corregidor, where US General Douglas McArthur (1880-1964) made his final stand against the Japanese more than two decades previously. The purpose of the military force was to infiltrate Sabah.

A furious Malaysian government lodged a formal protest in September 1968. A subsequent meeting between Tun Abdul Razak and Narciso Ramos (Foreign Minister of the Philippines) in Bangkok proved fruitless. They, however, agreed on a cooling-off period. Matters worsened when the Philippine Congress approved a resolution delineating Philippine territorial waters. The bill made it clear that the Philippines had acquired dominion and sovereignty around the territory of Sabah and its waters. The situation was further exacerbated by a directive to the Filipinos diplomats that they were to, at international conferences, record reservation over Malaysia’s competence to represent Sabah. When one such reservation was recorded, at an Asean meeting, the Malaysians demanded its withdrawal, failing which they would not attend any further meetings of the organization. The Philippines stood firm and Diplomatic Representatives were withdrawn from their respective capitals and Asean came to a standstill.
The Philippines was also on the threshold of political changes. The stage was set with the election of Ferdinand Marcos to the presidency. Like Suharto, President Ferdinand Marcos had a daunting task in his hands. His primary task was to neutralize the warring political factions that had left the country in limbo, put down insurgents including the Huks and the fanatical Lapiang Malaya. The latter group once storm the Presidential Palace, Malacanang, resulting in 33 deaths. After a disastrous 1966,the economy staged a mild recovery which was sustained in subsequent years. An intensified programme to improve the economic infrastructure was implemented, with top priority given to increasing rice and corn production. The results were creditable: the manufacturing sector recovered and dramatic advances on the agricultural font were recorded. In 1968, the GNP grew an impressive 6 per cent.

Asean in the Philippines
Asean heads of state met for the 3rd Asean Summit, in Manila marking the culmination of 18 months of extensive preparations by senior political and economic officials. While the theme of the 3rd summit was firmly on furthering economic co-operation, the leaders endorsed the signing of a Protocol Amending the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation, which effectively allowed other states in and outside Southeast Asia to accede to the Treaty, thus making them eligible for membersip. This marked the first of several moves aimed at enlarging the group of six.
In announcing new measures to intensify economic ties, the leaders would have remembered the harsh criticism leveled by their host, President Cory Aquino, soon after she assumed office in February 1986. She blasted Asean for spending 19 years “endlessly discussing regional economic co-operation but failing to expand ties and depending on the industrial West for growth”. In her opinion, “Asean had fallen short of its goals and lack the progress on substantive economic issues threatened to render meaningless our continued association.” Though President Aquino did not repeat her views in public, her strident criticism somehow seemed to have achieved the desired effect.

One of the agreements signed was a basic revision of the AIJV scheme to make it more flexible, quicker to implement and more attractive to private investors. This followed an earlier agreement aimed at deepening the minimum margin of tariff preference (MOP) by the participating countries, from 50 per cent to 75 per cent. Further revisions were ratified to deepen the MOP to a minimum of 90 per cent.

The Asean Heads of Government endorsed a package of new initiatives in the areas of trade, tourism, investment, finance and banking, transportation and communications, and food, agriculture and forestry. These were embodied in Three Agreements signed by the Economic Ministers at the Summit.

The first was aimed at encouraging intra-Asean trade via a widening of the items covered by the PTA, and a further deepening of the MOP. A five-year time frame was set, but exceptions were made for Indonesia and the Philippines to comply within seven years. A memorandum called for immediate standstill on non-tariff barriers (NTBs) with negotiations on a rollback of existing NTBs to commence immediately and be concluded within five years. The revamped Asean Secretariat, long overdue, was charged with the responsibilityof monitoring adherence to the agreement.

An Agreement of the Promotion and Protection of Investments was adopted, aimed at increasing the flow of investment and technology, thus accelerating industrialization of the whole region.

The 3rd summit endorsed several other new initiatives including the setting up of an Asean Reinsurance Corporation. To stimulate intra-Asean trade and private sector investment, the leaders agreed to accelerate co-operation in the fields of finance, taxation and customs procedures. It urged the avoidance of double taxation, liberalization in the use of Asean currencies in bilateral trade and training programmes to harmonize tax and customs administration.

In reviewing industrial co-operation, the Leaders sat a modest target of raising intra-Asean investments to a level that constituted at least 10 per cent of total foreign investments in Aseans by the year 2000. To boost the PTA, the leaders recommended that the exclusion lists be limited to 10 per cent or less of traded items within five to seven years, and that items remaining on the exclusion lists account for no more than 50 per cent of intra-Asean trade value. Items phased into the PTA would enjoy improved MOP on a graduation scale. Many of these measures were successfully implemented over the successive years. And in retrospect the Manila Summit finally paved the way for the establishment of the Asean Free Trade Area.

Asean was established to ensure that its members did not wage on each other, and hopefully by extension, as a non-aligned block not be drawn into larger conflicts. The critics were almost, but not quite right as the grouping’s members faced several early challenges even as momentous changes were taking place worldwide. If the past years are any measure of what Asean is capable of achieving, then it can take comfort in the assurance of continuing to be the region’s most prestigious and influential organization and a world leader dedicated to peace and prosperity and the standard bearer of the need and aspirations of its peoples and neighbours.

The evolution of an Asean identity by 2050 is not an indisctinct possibility, and even it comes close enough to attaining this objective, then the group would truly have come of age.

Philippine Foreign Policy Seatwork

Question 1: What is the mandate of the Department of Foreign Affairs in terms of being the principal arm to implement foreign policy? What other institutions help or assist the DFA in realizing foreign policies?

The Department of Foreign Affairs is the agency of government responsible for the attainment of the Philippine foreign policy and the center for a service worthy of the trust and pride of every Filipino. The control of the Department of Foreign Affairs is to assist in post-war rehabilitation, formulate policies for investment promotion, and establish diplomatic relations with other countries. DFA focused on institution building, closer engagement with Asian neighbors, and increasing Philippine global linkages. During the Marcos Regime, the dictator once redefined foreign policy as the safeguarding of territorial integrity and national dignity, and emphasized increased regional cooperation and collaboration. The Department of Foreign Affairs pursued the promotion of trade and investments, played an active role in hosting international meetings, and participated in the meetings of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Other institutions that help assisted the Department of Foreign affairs are Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Immigration, Commission on Filipinos Overseas, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Commission of Elections, Department of Tourism, National Disaster Coordinating Council, Office of the President, Office of the Press Secretary and Oversees Absentee Voting Secretariat.

Question 2: Enumerate eight foreign policy realities of former president Arroyo. For each 2-3 related news articles and then made an analysis as to what extent did the Arroyo administration work to implement the said realities.

-China, Japan and the United States and their relationship will be a determining influence in the security situation and economic evolution of East Asia.

- Philippine foreign policy decisions have to be made in the context of ASEAN.

-The international Islamic community will continue to be more important for the Philippines.

- The coming years will see the growing importance of multi-lateral and inter-regional organization to promote common interests.

- The contries economic policy will continue to be friendly to both domestic and FDI's

- The Philippines can benefit most quicly from international Tourism.

- Overseas Filipino workers will continue to be recognied for their critical role in the countrys economic and social stability.

- As an archipelagic state, the defense of the nation's sovereignty and the protection of its environment and natural resources can be carried out only to the extent that it asserts its rights over the maritime territory and gets others to respect those rights;

Question 3: With the resistance of different bureaus, institutions as well as interest groups, it is the president that drafts state policies. What do you think will be included in President Noynoy Aquino’s foreign policy list now that he has assumed the presidency? Identify five issues and new clippings (at least one for each issue) to support your answer.

As what President Noynoy Aquino have said, he will lessen the lack of infrastructures for transportation, tourism and trade so that they will hold the companies responsible if problems occurred. From now on he said, mediocre work will not be good enough when it comes to roads, bridges, and buildings because we will hold contractors responsible for maintaining their projects in good condition. He shall strengthen collections by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and we will fight corruption in the Bureau of Customs in order to fund our objectives for the public welfare, such as good quality education, including vocational education, so that those who choose not to attend college or those who cannot afford it can find dignified livelihood an to Improved public health services such as PhilHealth for all within three years. He will strengthen the armed forces and the police, not to serve the interests of those who want to wield power with impunity, but to give added protection for ordinary folk. And lastly, he will strengthen the process of consultation and feedback.

Question 4 : How significant is the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Philippine Foreign Policy?

Knowing that the prime intention of the Philippines in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are strengthening regional harmony, stability, and prosperity. As a founding member of the ASEAN, the Philippines fully supports the vision for a more united and integrated ASEAN Community, working together towards economic growth, social progress, and cultural development in the region. The government considers the large market of ASEAN as responsive to its economic development; however, it cannot be denied that ASEAN is also becoming more and more an instrument towards the security of the region. Thus, the Philippines shall continue to share intelligence and operational information.

Expectations

I expect Philippine Foreign Policy to be more challenging than my previous subjects. Like most of what I've taken, I will sure do a lot of reading. I admit that I do not have much knowledge on this subject but I'm hoping that our professor will teach us a lot of things, not only from the book but also from her experiences as well. I also hope that even though this subject involves critical thinking, it would still be easy for us to analyze and perceive the things that we should discuss in the future.